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v Propelling vAtta0111119111; for' Sleds.

No. 243,195. t Patented J-un e 21, |881.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.,-

CHARLES BERNHARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

g PROPELLING ATTACHMENT FOR SLEDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,195, dated June 21, 1881. Application filed Decemberl, 1880. (Nomodel.)

To all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES BERNHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Propelling Attachments to Sleds, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention consists in the combination,

with a sled, of a propeller-wheel provided with a series of spurs adapted to catch in snow or ice, a slide which forms the bearing for the shaft of the propeller-wheel, a spring for depressing said slide, a chain wheel or pulley mounted on the-propeller-shaft, a crank-shaft mounted in the upper part of the slide, a chain wheel or pulley mounted on this crank-shaft, and a chain or belt extending from this pulley to the pulley on the propeller-shaft, so that by manipulating the crank a rapid revolving motion can be imparted to the propeller-wheel, and this wheel, together-with the spurs, is free to yield to inequalities in the surface over which it passes. The propeller-spurs are mounted in guides and subjected to the action of springs, so that each spur is adapted to yield independent of the rest and of the body of the propeller-wheel.

This invention is illustrated in the acco1n panying drawings, in which Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section in the plane :r ai, Fig. 2. Figi?. is a plan or top view. Fig. 3 is a transverse section in the plane y y, Fig. 2.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the seat of my sled, which is supported by the frame B and the runners C. On each side of the frame B is firmly secured an upright, D, and on the outside of this upright is situated a slide, E, which forms the bearings for the propellershaft a and for the crankshaft b. A spring, c, has a tendency to depress the slide E. The shafts a and b extend through slots d e in the upright D, so that they are able to rise and fall with the slide, and that by the combined action of the slots and the shafts the slide is guided in its rising-andfalling motion. On one end of this shaft a is mounted the propeller-wheel F, and on its opposite end a chain wheel or pulley, Gr. The propeller-wheel is provided with a series of spurs, f, which are intended to catch in the snow or ice, and to propel the sled when a revolving motion is imparted to the propeller-wheel. On one end of the shaft b is mounted a crank, H, and on its opposite end a chain wheel or pulley, I, which is connected to the chain wheel or pulley Gr by a chain or belt, g. The pulley I is of much larger diameter than the pulley G, so that by turning the crank H a rapid revolving motion can be imparted to the propeller-wheel, and as the spurs of this wheel catch in the snow or ice, a rapid motion is imparted to the sled. By the action of the yielding slide E the propeller-wheel and its spurs are enabled to pass over lumps of ice or stones or other inequalities without injury.

In the example 'shown in the drawings the spurs f are mounted in lugs h, which project from the sides of the propeller-wheel, and they are subjected to the action of springs t, which have a tendency to force the points of thespurs outward to the position shown in Fig.l. If one of the spurs strikes a stone or other hard substance its point recedes, and it is not liable to become broken or otherwise injured. Instead of using the lugs h, the spurs may be inserted in holes in the periphery of the propeller-wheel or otherwise secured thereto, and subjected to the action of the springs t.

The cranks H may be so arranged that they can be driven by liand or by foot, or by both combined.

With the slide E is combined a stop, k, adapted to catch into a notch, t, therein, for the purpose of retaining the slide in an upper position.

On the forward part of the sleigh are arranged two wheels, J, one on each side, which are mounted on bell-crank levers N, to which are connected springs O, acting thereon with a tendency to hold the wheels off from the ground. When either the levers N is moved against the action of its spring O, the wheel J ,which it carries, is brought into contact with the ground, and by this means the sleigh can be steered in the desired manner.

What I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A sled provided with a fixed upright, D, projecting above and below the seat portion, and slotted at each end, in' combination with IOO a vertically-movable spring-impelled slide, E, provided at its upper end with a crank-shaft extending through the upper slot in the standard, a spurred propeller-wheel the shaft of which extends through the lower slot in the standard and has its bearing in the end ofthe slide, and is movable therewith, and a driving` mechanism connecting the crank-shaft and propeller-wheel shaft, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with a sled, of a propeller-wheel provided with a series of spurs adapted to catch in snow or ice, a verticallymovable slide which forms the bearings for the shaft of the propeller-wheel, a spring for depressing said slide, a chain wheel or pulley mounted on the propeller-shaft, a crank-shaft mounted in the upper part ot' the slide, a chain Wheel or pulley mounted on this crank-shaft, and a chain or belt extending from this pulley tothe pulley on the propeller-shaft, all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a sled, of a propeller-wheel, F, having1 at one side the lugs h h, the spurs f, arranged to move in said lugs, and springs t', connected with the spurs and bearing against the lugs, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and sea-l iu the presence of two subseribix'ig` Witnesses.

CEAS. BERNHARD.

Witnesses W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

